Search

Autumn Colours of New England

Activity types:

Level

Difficulty indicator

Difficulty is measured on many factors such as distance, ascent/descent, terrain, weather and more. There's no magic formula, but from our experience we use yellow for easy, orange for medium and red for hard. Challenger holidays require a high level of fitness and stamina.

Holiday overview

Experience nature’s spectacular display of autumn hues as we explore New England amidst the golden glow of the “fall”. Warm days, walking through this legendary landscape make for an unforgettable holiday. We’re treated to a fantastic start and a spectacular finish, with a discovery of the grand architecture of Boston, and the towering skyline of New York City. This is the ideal mix of cityscapes and stunning countryside, accompanied by fabulous walks throughout.

Holiday Highlights

Discover Boston – “The Cradle of Liberty”, its rich history and grand architecture

Admire the blaze and brilliance of colour in the “fall”

Explore the White Mountains of New Hampshire, the Green Mountains of Vermont, and the Berkshires

Walks and sightseeing excursions in classic New England landscapes

New York – the city that never sleeps

Price includes

12 nights' accommodation in comfortable en-suite rooms

Half Board from breakfast on Day 2 to breakfast on Day 13

A full programme of guided walks led by specialist local guides and an HF Holidays' leader

Sightseeing, entrance fees and travel by minicoach

Tips

Accommodation

Welcoming and comfortable country inns, hotels and lodges with well-located city hotels, all offering good standards of accommodation and facilities. In the small towns of Stowe, Jackson and Williamstown, our accommodation reflects the character of the area.

The Revere in Boston (2 nights), is located in the city centre, with the Freedom Trail passing in front of the door.

The hotel in Jackson – Eagle Mountain House (3 nights) – is one of the Historic Hotels of America. Built in 1879, the hotel is a listed building with the National Trust of Historic Preservation, and has its own swimming pool, tennis courts, and golf course.

Set in 40 acres, the Golden Eagle Resort in Stowe (3 nights) has Mt. Mansfield, Vermont's highest mountain, in its backyard. Ideally located 1/2 mile from Stowe Village, Golden Eagle Resort is walking distance to shops, and the Stowe Recreation Path.

Our accommodation at the Williams Inn in Williamstown (3 nights) continues the theme. One of the nicest destination inns in New England, the Williams Inn was built in 1912, and blends the charm of its history with modern facilities such as the pool, hot tubs and spa.

Our final hotel is the Hotel Beacon NYC (1 night) on the historic Upper West Side with views of Central Park, the Hudson River and Midtown Manhattan, a great vantage point from which to venture anywhere in New York.

On occasion we may need to change the accommodation listed above. If this happens, your replacement accommodation will be of the equivalent standard or higher. In the rare instance this is not possible, we will contact you in advance.

Itinerary

A good balance of leisurely half and full day walks and sightseeing. Walks are generally between 2 – 7 miles (3.25-11.25km) with ascents of up to 1,500 feet (450m).

Days 1-2: arrival in Boston (2 nights) where we walk the Freedom Trail, exploring the legacy of America’s Path to Independence, and visit Quincy Market.

Day 3: a pleasant drive through Massachusetts countryside and into the beautiful White Mountains of New Hampshire. En route to our hotel in the attractive small town of Jackson (3 nights), we walk into the Flume Gorge at Franconia Notch and ride the aerial tramway to Canon Mountain for short walks and outstanding views.

Days 4-5: enjoy valley walks to the Arethusa Falls, a short ascent of Mount Willard and trail walks to Zealand Falls on the lower slopes of Mount Washington in the company of our Appalachian Trail Guide.

Days 6-8: travel to Stowe (3 nights), a quintessential New England town with its white clapperboard houses, church steeple and Arts and Crafts shops. Visit the Ben and Jerry ice cream factory, stroll the town’s ‘recreation pathway’ and explore the Vermont countryside with walks on the Trapp family estate and a ridgeline walk on Mount Mansfield.

Day 9: journey through the Green Mountains with a stop in picturesque Woodstock for optional walks on Mount Tom. Continue to Williamstown (3 nights), a classic New England college town in the Berkshire Hills.

Days 10-11: enjoy walks on Mt Greylock, visit the Clark Art galleries and take trips to nearby Hancock Shaker village and Pleasant Valley Audubon Sanctuary.

Day 12: journey south to New York (1 night). In the afternoon, take a Circle Line cruise for inspiring views of the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and the city skyline.

Day 13: enjoy a walking tour of New York’s main sights before our evening flight to the UK.

Day 14: arrive UK.

Extend your stay

Stay in New York for additional nights at the end of your tour. Enjoy extra time in this fascinating city, accommodation will be on a bed & breakfast basis to allow complete flexibility. There will be no HF Holidays' leader with you during these additional days. Prices from £184 per person, subject to availability. Please call if you wish to book extra nights.

General Information

PassportA full passport is required and must be valid for the duration of your stay.

VisasUnder the Visa Waiver Program, British citizens with full right of residence in the UK do not require a visa. Other nationals should check with their nearest United States embassy or consulate for details of entry requirements. From 1 April 2016 all passengers entering the US under the VWP will need to have a passport with an integrated chip.

From 21 January 2016 most people who have travelled to Iran, Iraq, Sudan, or Syria since March 2011, or are dual nationals of these countries, will no longer qualify for entry under the VWP and existing ESTAs could be revoked. You will instead need to apply for a visa from the nearest US Embassy or Consulate.

Visa Waiver Program travellers entering the United States by air or sea carrier are required to register under the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation at https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/. Please note that this is the only official ESTA website. There are third-party companies that operate websites which look like the ESTA application site, but which charge a processing fee on top of the official fees.

Health adviceBefore booking, you should check with your doctor to see if any health precautions are needed. The following websites provide a wealth of information on travelling and health: www.fitfortravel.nhs.ukwww.traveldoctor.co.uk

Visitors must pay for all medical services. Adequate health insurance is therefore essential.

Vaccines: Tetanus vaccine is recommended.

ClimateThe perfect climate for walking. The weather in the fall is generally warm and sunny, without being too hot for our walks. Daytime temperatures are a comfortable 18 to 24ºC, with the evening and night-time temperatures dropping to a cool -1 to -5ºC.

MoneyThe local currency in the United States of America is the US Dollar. Credit cards widely accepted. ATMs are widely available across the country. Traveller’s cheques are not advised.

Time

Time in Boston/New York is GMT -4hrs (-5 during British Summer time)

TippingTips are included on this holiday.

Liability waiversCompanies operating outdoor or adventure activities in the USA now commonly require their clients to sign a liability waiver form before participating in the activity. These forms have been introduced by American insurance companies as a means of offering protection against ‘frivolous’ or ‘opportunistic’ legal claims.

During the course of your holiday you may be asked to complete a liability form with your name, address and signature. This form indicates that by signing it you are waiving your rights to pursue legal action against our agents, in the event of personal injury or loss. However, as all of the activities included in your itinerary are part of a pre-arranged holiday, booked and paid for in the UK, this waiver form has no legal weight whatsoever. Your holiday contract is with HF Holidays and as stated in our Booking Conditions, is therefore governed by UK law.

We must ask you to sign the waiver forms presented to you by our agents, as not doing so could effectively invalidate other key aspects of the insurance cover they hold. But please be reassured that in the unlikely event that you had cause to make a claim for negligence arising from your holiday, your signing of these waiver forms would in no way undermine or alter your legal rights.

MealsMeal arrangements for breakfasts and dinners in hotels and restaurants will vary. At some you may be able to select from the full menu, at others there may be a restricted choice, or there may be no choice (with the exception of course of previously advised special dietary requirements). These arrangements are dictated by the policy of the particular hotel or restaurant in dealing with groups – some feel that in order to provide efficient service, they need to concentrate on a limited menu. We endeavour where possible to ensure that a good choice is available, but find some venues more flexible than others.

Our choice of places to eat is reviewed for each tour based on the experiences of each group, with the aim of ensuring the optimum arrangements at each stop on the tour.

It is worth noting that portions may well be larger than you are used to – it is generally considered acceptable to share, for example, a pudding or cake. Meals are often not served as hot as in the UK.

Breakfasts at some hotels in America are now becoming large continental buffet affairs where you self-select items and eat them on disposable plates.

Evening meals are normally arranged for between 7pm and 8pm to save rushing the day’s activities and to give you time to refresh beforehand.

For flights information please see the Dates and Prices tab.

Leaders

Jim Hart

Jim has been travelling and hill walking for many years, across four continents, combining an enthusiasm for mountains with his professional interest in plants and landscape. He now leads our Guided Walking and Leisure Activity holidays. Jim has made a number of extended tours of the USA visiting gardens and national parks, and taking time to climb mountains in several states. He is looking forward to sharing this holiday with HFH guests.

Jim is leading our 15 September 2017 departure.

Chris Buckland

Chris has been a leader for HF Holidays for many years leading in the UK, France and New Zealand. He has led family holidays, Leisure Activity holidays, cycling and guided walking holidays and enjoys sharing his knowledge of the countryside and the outdoors with HF guests. Chris is no stranger to New England having visited Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, and Vermont as well as Boston and New York City. Chris is excited at the prospect of sharing his enthusiasm for the diverse culture, history and natural beauty of this beautiful region with likeminded people.

Chris will be leading 28 September 2017

Frank Waterworth

Frank has been leading for HF Holidays for 14 years both in the UK and overseas. He has been leading Worldwide holidays since 2009, which have taken him to Kenya, Ecuador, Morocco, Jordan and Cuba. Originally from Yorkshire, but currently living in Scotland, he has a keen interest in history and wildlife. His other interests include volunteering for his local Sustrans group and a local woodland group. Last year he extended his volunteering experience with two months in Southern Africa and South America. He is a regular visitor to North America where he has friends and family.

Frank is leading our 5 October 2017 departure.

Reviews

Date & Rating

Customer Review

HF Holidays says

30 Oct 2016, 6:34 a.m.

Service rating:

+

Product rating:

+

Service review:

HF have never let us down - we've always experienced good holidays, whether in the UK, Europe or further afield.

Product review:

Excellent itinerary encompassed the colours, wildlife and history of New England as well as the cosmopolitan cities of Boston and New York.

23 Oct 2016, 1:03 p.m.

Service rating:

++

Product rating:

++

Service review:

Overall a very enjoyable holiday, the fall was at its best and we were very fortunate with the weather

Product review:

The holiday did not have an auspicious start as the transport was over 45 minutes late due problems in the tunnel, it was cold waiting . When we got to the hotel the check in was delayed as we were early , despite being over 45 minutes late, the baggage was not collected on time when we left, poor communication, organisation not the hotels strongest point. The shorter walk on mount Greylock was bit of a waste of time due misunderstanding between the local guides, our guide was not the best, and the impact of Columbus weekend. In retrospect we should have spent the whole day in the Clark Gallery and its grounds not half a day

22 Oct 2016, 1:38 p.m.

Service rating:

+

Product rating:

+

Service review:

Good service from booking etc. Tour leader was first class.

Product review:

A very good itinerary. Some features of one or two of the hotels and some of the food was somewhat average hence the "good" rating.

17 Oct 2016, 9:44 a.m.

Service rating:

+

Product rating:

+

Service review:

I have used HF holidays and member since a teenager and find them a very useful holiday service as i am single. I am a little concerned that HF is trying to be all things to all men; it needs to consider the cost implications - not all of us are wealthy pensioners!

Product review:

This was a well thought out holiday that provided a range of New England experiences.

4 Oct 2016, 7:05 p.m.

Service rating:

++

Product rating:

+

Service review:

We have a high opinion of HF and return again and again because we can be confident of a consistently high quality service in the organisation of holidays.

Product review:

Better than good as generally we were very satisfied with the trip. In some areas we feel improvements could be made to transport and in the choice in the dinner menus.

2 Oct 2016, 3:18 p.m.

Service rating:

++

Product rating:

+

Service review:

An excellent holiday, we were too early for many colours, but expected that. Well run.

Product review:

Everything was as described and expected.

2 Oct 2016, 5:54 a.m.

Service rating:

+

Product rating:

+

Service review:

No comment

Product review:

No commentm

9 Nov 2015, 2:19 p.m.

Service rating:

++

Product rating:

++

Service review:

Though I find the new system ((taken over by outside booking company?) feels less friendly I do still find those in the actual HF office with actual names excellent.